Huntresses of the Sea
by Annabelle745
Summary: Battleship!AU Beacon Naval Base is at the forefront of the fight for Remnant's seas. Join RWBY squadron as they fight the White Fang Fleet, and take the action to the high seas! Rated M for possible suggestive content in the future, and violence in the future.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N So I'm kinda just winging this at the moment, as this is my first story here. Despite that, I aim to succeed, and I'm probably going to be rapid-fire releasing a few RWBY AUs and crossovers (the Division and Bloodborne) within the next few weeks, and try to constantly update them. I had the idea for a Battleship AU a few weeks back, and decided to write something on it. This AU takes place in what would be our 20** **th** **century, with technology at about a WWII level, and it will be about 90% on sea, or naval bases. I'm also seeking any suggestions for characters' ships, as I already have all of team RWBY and CRME planned out, along with Pyrrha's and Nora's and Neo's.**

 **Anyway, here goes!**

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The waves were eerily calm as the moon rose towards the sky, the full, shattered form casting its light over the black waters below it. The waves splashed up and against the steel fortress as it sliced through, eerily silent despite its own weight and power. The Valean Naval Ship ( _VNS_ ) _Crescent Rose_ was a Beacon-class ship, reserved for the Huntress/Hunter-class squadrons that exist for the sole purpose of seeking out and destroying enemy Admirals and Naval Bases. The _Crescent Rose_ , along with the whole of RWBY Squadron, was unique in the fact that its commander, Commodore Ruby Rose, was the youngest in the world. She had passed her exams with flying colours at a young age, and graduated from the Naval Officer School at the young age of twenty, given her first command (the _VNS Crimsonnette_ ) under her mother, who had served on the Hunter Squadron STRQ, and was escorting Ruby to Beacon Naval Base when they were ambushed, three years prior.

Here she was once more, the rest of her Squadron lay at anchor a few hundred metres to the stern of the _Crescent Rose_ as she sailed towards Summer Rose's final resting place, where a buoy had been placed by Ruby the year she was given her battleship. A small launch would depart from the hulking, yet sleek, black mass, the noise of its engine just barely audible over the silence that seemed all consuming. Aboard, only a single figure, clad in a crimson red and midnight black uniform, black hair streaked red and a small ship model in hand, a model of Summer's ship, to be set on the buoy and replace the one left the year prior.

"Here I am, Mom. I made it, just like you said I would. I've got my own ship now, just like you did. Yang's doing well, you should see her now. I'm sure you would be proud. I'm the leader of our squadron, we're a pretty strange bunch." Her hands would fall back to their sides, the small ship set down at the console of the launch, seemingly about to tip over.

"You know that giant Dust corporation, the Schnees? Weiss, the youngest daughter, she's on my team. She fights well, and she may seem icy and mean but she just takes some getting used to. Our resident Faunus, Blake, boy is she an enigma. She's some kind of feline, I think she looks like a panther, which is kind of ironic considering our job. But yeah, I just wanted to stop by, and let you know what's been going on lately. I love you, and I'll always miss you. I'm sorry I couldn't do more to save you." Hands once constantly in motion would fall down to the model ship, picking it up and gently holding it, fingers running along the sleek, metallic form.

She would set the figure down in the water, watching it bob in the waves, resting against the buoy as it was pulled closer by a magnetic device she'd created. She visited this spot yearly, to remind herself of the biggest moment in her life, when she had lost the most important person in her life.

 _ **Line Break: A few years prior**_

"I'm so proud of you, little Rose!" The female figure exclaimed, a wide smile adorning her face. In stark contrast to the shorter figure, her uniform was a bright white, with crimson trim, and her hair was almost the exact same were it not a few tones darker of red. She would reach down and ruffle the shorter figure's hair, eliciting an annoyed groan as her hand was smacked away playfully.

"Mom! Don't embarrass me in front of Uncle Qrow and Dad too!" The shorter figure whined, silver eyes locked onto the older women's in a form of pout before she was lifted of her feet by a tall, larger blonde male. She squealed in surprise, trying to get herself down as she was carried off of the dock and onto the ship that had been put under her command until she could travel with her mother and father to Beacon Naval Base for her assignment.

"We're both excited for you Rubes, but the sooner we get there the sooner you can see Qrow and your sister. Just stay right between your mother and myself while we're out there, understand? It will take a few weeks for us to sail all the way up the coast to Beacon." The male would say, a smile on his face and mirth lighting his azure eyes as his daughter nodded emphatically.

"Sure thing dad! Captain Ruby Rose is ready for action, Taiyang Xiao Long!" She shouted, running to the bridge of her small cruiser, the _Crimsonette_ , in anticipation of their journey. Little did she know just how much excitement she would get.

 _ **Line Break: Present Day**_

"Yang keeps asking me what happened that night. I want to say something to her, really I do. I just… I still can't bring myself to talk about that night without breaking down. I still haven't found anyone to rely on after you met yours, and after dad spiraled like a plane. We have a lead though, one of that cruel witch Salem's associates defected, and right now we're going after Mercury Black. I'll get Salem for you, mom. She won't hurt anyone I care about, not again."

A few tears would be shed by Ruby, her attire becoming wetter as time went on, both of her own volition and as the sea spray collected on her attire. What felt like hours, but was in fact only minutes, after her arrival, she left and returned to her ship. Once on the bridge, she sent out a single message to her friends, her squadron. The message was sent via Morse code, the lanterns aboard her ship making sure the message made it to each of the ships around her.

"Let the hunt begin."

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 **A/N: Let me know what you thought! This is on the shorter side of what I hope these chapters to be, and I promise all regarding the Admirals and squadrons will be explained. The whole tale about how Summer was lost will be explained whence I decide what ship/OT3+ to do this as, or to not do it with any ship (even though it is a seaborne fic ahaha). I'm probably going to post a poll for each of my upcoming stories on shipping decisions, and depending on the top three characters shipped with Ruby I may make it a single ship or multiship, although the polls may be of ship names. I am also currently seeking a beta reader/an editor, so feel free to blame any mistakes in story on me haha. I hope you enjoyed this! Read, review, follow, let me know what I can do better.**

 **Edit: 4/30/16. This is just me tweaking some of the grammar and the structure of the story, the second chapter may be up by tomorrow, I'll try to get out a chapter of this a week, maybe two. Expect Friday/Saturday updates, or Friday/Sunday.**

 **Have an enjoyable experience,**

 **Anna.**


	2. Chapter 2: The Quicksilver Encounter

Chapter II: The Quicksilver Encounter

 **A/N: And I'm back! I've had a strange amount of inspiration for this fic, so here's the second chapter! Anyway, here's the kind of ships team RWBY is using. All are more or less heavily modified, and said modifications will be explained and made sense of. Ruby herself is using the equivalent of a US Montana Class Battleship, albeit with 12 25-inch main cannons in four triple turrets, along with side mounted 15-inch batteries and dual-purpose 10-inch cannon (it's all Ruby's crazy design). Yang's ship is mostly based on the** _ **IJN**_ _ **Yamato**_ **, except with more anti-air defenses and the shells modified to fire airburst rounds. Weiss' ship is based off of the German Navy's** _ **Tirpits**_ **battleship, and Blake's ship is based off of the British King George V class battleship. Anyways here goes the second chapter! This is also the first chapter with an actual name.**

 **Now that the A/N is out of the way, story time!**

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Despite the initial outcry at the defection of a certain tri-coloured captain, Ruby had put faith in the shorter girl. At first, it was out of a simple innocence, what did Neo have to gain by telling a lie while being held in the heart of the enemy? Then, the desire for revenge, to not allow anyone else to get hurt, took the fore and she jumped at the opportunity. Despite the current weather, calm and overcast, she could tell that an enemy force was inbound.

Weiss' melodic voice had come through not minutes earlier informing her of Mercury's squadron, his ship visible on her radar, surrounded by what appeared to be four other ships, by Weiss' guesses the mystery ships were battlecruisers. Ruby had kept her squadron within the shelter of the island chain, their own silhouettes blending in to the darkened background, the islands essentially swallowing them in their own radar signatures.

Yang's ship, the _Ember Celica_ , had been placed at the closest point to Mercury's small squadron. Her ship's 18-inch cannon having airburst rounds designed to tear apart a ship's superstructure and deck, and her side armaments designed more like shotguns firing slugs, to punch the holes in and out. Weiss was camouflaged a few hundred metres away, _Myrtenaster's_ 15-inch cannon ready and waiting to join Yang in the ambush, torpedo tubes standing by to launch their deadly fish. Blake's _Gambol Shroud_ laid back with the _Crescent Rose_ as if nonchalant, Ruby herself trusting Blake to follow her into battle when they finished off the battlecruisers, which were essentially smaller battleships with less armour.

 _ **Line Break: A Few Hours Later**_

Ruby's head snapped forward, looking up from the wheel her hands ran along, the same wheel from her mother's ship the _Rose's Thorns_ ,that she had recovered from its final resting place. Distant sounds of thunder rumbled towards her and the other battleship, the only indication that this was not natural weather being the bright orange glow in the steady distance.

"Bring us out into the open, signal the _Shroud_ that we are to start the bombardment." She would say, hands rising from the wheel and giving the command before returning to their spot, lurching forwards. Each captain of a Beacon-class ship put their own attributes into it. The _Ember_ had excellent armour all-around, the _Myertenaster_ was highly adaptable and flexible, the _Shroud_ was surprisingly sneaky and brisk for its size, and the _Crescent Rose_ was amazingly fast, despite being one of the bigger ships in the world. In no time, the two stragglers of RWBY squadron arrived to see the _Ember_ duking it out with two of Mercury's battlecruisers, a third a flaming wreck behind her ships, listing heavily on its side from what appeared to be repeated hits by _Myrtenaster._ The _Gambol Shroud_ moved in to help Weiss finish off the last of the battlecruisers while Ruby herself chased down the _Quicksilver_ , Mercury's flagship. In the chaos and quickly darkening battlefront, it wasn't until she was within two hundred metres of the ship that she realized just exactly where the fiend had gone.

 _ **Line Break: On Board the Quicksilver**_

After the ambush by Yang and Weiss, Mercury had abandoned his comrades, looping around the island to get at the rear of what he thought were only two ships. It struck him by surprise when a fourth ship (his panicked captains had radioed him about a third joining), this one with even larger cannon, seemed to rise right in front of him from thin air.

"Hard to port! I want all of our turrets brought to bear on that ship!" He said, his voice stern, yet laced with thinly veiled surprise and outrage. He knew the colour scheme of the ship, the name _Crescent Rose._ His superiors had told him that another Rose prowled the seas, her thorns even more dangerous than the last. Before his ship could get its turrets to bear, bright lights filled his vision, cracks like the loudest thunder and as bright as miniature suns filling his vision.

 _ **Line Break: Aboard the Crescent Rose**_

Ruby's hand flew forwards, the signal for 'Full-Speed Ahead'. She would not give the enemy time to react, time to bring their powerful cannon to bear on her creation. They would feel her anger, her wrath at having to put her friends, her family in danger. And, as a bonus, Mercury would be guinea pig to two of Ruby's designs. The front of her ship had a large ram, almost bladed at the fore, designed to slice through weakened armour.

Her fist raised, spinning in a tight circle, She had invented her own form of hand gestures for her ship, so that she could give commands without a voice. Now, her glorious 25-inch main cannon, six of them, were brought to bear on the gleaming _Quicksilver._ The two aft turrets, C and D, turned to face the port and starboard sides of the ships. With a massive roar and flash of light, her forward two turrets, A and B, discharged all six of their cannon, tearing through the _Quicksilver_ like a warm knife through warm butter. Fires lit all across the other ship, in one case one of the 25-inch shells tore straight through the side armaments and exploded on the other side.

Significantly weakened, Ruby's ram sliced the ship clean in two, her side armaments peppering the insides of the ship. Her C and D turrets let loose one volley each on the two halves, explosions rocking the ship as shells designed to destroy bunkers tore through wood and thin steel innards. As quick as her duel with the infamous Mercury of CRME squadron began, it was ended. Her ship suffered next to no damage minus that from the collision, and it appeared damage and casualties to RWBY squadron as a whole were light.

She would have to thank the Ice Cream Captain when they returned home. That woman had saved lives today, and helped them strike what she hoped was a critical blow to Salem's forces, the loss of almost a fleet's worth of heavy ships sure to be some form of setback.

One message went out over stilled waters, elation seeming to be held in the quick flashes of light from the _Rose_ , along with the quick dits and dots traveling over the Morse receivers in each ship.

"Let's head home. Cookies are on me."

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 **A/N: So, chapter two! I hope I did okay with the naval scene, I'll have to keep on working on it. I'm hoping the next chapter will be a bit longer, as it will be at the Beacon Naval Base, and there I can show you just what each ship is like.**

 **Also, the poll for ships for this story (Ruby x …) is on my profile! It will be open until Friday, May 6** **th** **2016, at which point I will write chapter three and lay the groundworks for a ship/tri-coupling! Thank you for reading, let me know what you think in the reviews! Follow, Fav, Pm me with any questions.**

 **Have a good evening/day,**

 **Anna**


	3. Chapter 3: Red Like Roses

Chapter Three: Red Like Roses

 **A/N: I know I'm at least two days early, but I'm in a simultaneously good mood and shitty mood, and while I'm riding the rare high of feel-goodness I wanted to whip out some backstory! So here you go, and don't forget to vote for who your favourite crimson commodore should bump ships with! Poll's open until this Friday/Saturday, so go vote so your favourite ship (or squadron) sets sail!**

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The girls made it back in almost record time, eager to report their success to their commanders, Admiral Ozpin and Vice-Admiral Goodwitch. However, some amongst the quadruplet had other motives. Yang had noticed how withdrawn her sister was during the fight, even if she didn't speak she usually relayed some form of command during an actual battle. Ruby had been entirely mum during the heat of the fight, and showed an uncharacteristic streak of mercilessness towards the _Quicksilver_ and its crew. So she hatched a plan, along with the reluctant agreement of the icy Weiss (still as _Weissy_ as ever, she thought) and the catty Belladonna, to get their leader to get whatever was on her chest off of it.

There was no better time for such action then their favourite time, Rest and Relaxation back at base. The plan to get Ruby to speak: Let her look over each of their ships briefly, bribing her into a night on the base's bar where they could get her _just drunk enough_ to speak, but not to become a bumbling storyteller. Yang knew just where that point was, having done the same to Ruby when she had a voice and was less socially inept. Now that they were docking, it was time to put that plan in motion.

 _ **Line Break**_

Ruby knew something was up the second the invitations arrived at her ship. Only when something sneaky was going on did Weiss allow her to examine _Myrtenaster,_ much less Blake offering the same for _Gambol Shroud,_ one of the few items that Blake kept absolutely quiet about. Regardless of her gut telling her to turn away, she accepted, groaning silently at Yang's insistence that, in return for access to their ships, Ruby accompany them to the base's bar for a "night of relaxation" as it was put. She didn't mind it at all, however. Ruby had already planned to go to the bar, to get a drink after sending one of her parent's killers to the bottom of the sea. She didn't know how Yang handled the loss of their father so well, maybe it was because she had already lost her mother, or because they were already oh so distant?

Those thoughts could wait, however. She was on the deck of the _Gambol Shroud_ and strutting along the gently swaying ship. The ten cannon in three turrets interested her, along with the multitude of side armaments, although it seemed that she had modified her ship to include half of the number of side armaments on her craft than there was on the normal version of her ship, the halved numbers making room for larger cannon along with a load of smoke canisters, allowing her large ship to disappear in a cloud of radar-resistant fog (the canisters also launched large amounts of foil in the air, messing with radar sensors for a good while). Blake's ship interested her the most, however, because of what was below the waterline. She had had the hull reinforced as well, the lack of weight on the superstructure allowing for heavier armour and no loss of speed, resulting in (at least in Ruby's opinion) a sort of ninja ship, fast and strong yet agile and sneaky.

The _Myrtenaster_ was a whole different story. Weiss had up-gunned her ship at the cost of some armour and some anti-air armament, but it had also allowed her to increase her torpedo payload. The result of her modifications? A sleek, grey vessel that could go head to head with Yang's ship at close range, and win. She could zig and zag almost at will, her cannons deadly accurate even on the move, and her spray of torpedoes acting like a flamethrower would on land, cutting land out of an enemy formation and burning all who stood in its path. She could think of only one weakness, and that was against speedy ships like Ruby's own, although only Ruby's was known to be able to wreak the level of havoc it did while maintaining the speed of a destroyer.

Lastly, and largest amongst the squadron, came the _Ember Celica._ Yang had uparmoured her ship to the pinnacle of armour, trading a few knots from her top speed in order to gain the level of armour she had. The anti-air armaments on her ship practically threw up a solid sheet of lead and dust cartridges, the odds of a plane making it through her AA fire alone being at a solid 5%, assuming her modified side armaments didn't shoot them from the sky like the oversized shotguns they were. Her turrets were painted a brazen gold, much like her flowing mane, meaning her ship was visible even in the dead of night, and that's just how she liked it. Designed for up-close and personal fighting, the _Ember_ could pull up next to an enemy port and shell it into oblivion, while being shot at by the shore batteries themselves.

Alas, her tour was done, and now they were in Junior's pub. She didn't know what number she was on, only that the amber liquid in her glass kept filling, and that she couldn't get rid of the weight on her chest, despite having killed one of the causes of that weight. She could see the questions in everyone's eyes, even in the newcomer, her heterochromatic eyes filled with the same query, the same question.

 _What the hell was that out there, Ruby?_

And so she stood, her hands gesturing to those around her. "Silence. I know you know that I know what you're doing, what you want to ask. So, let me explain what happened all those years ago. What the _Quicksilver_ and her allies did to me, took from me." Silence met her as she finished, before she shook out her hands, the tears starting to form in her eyes. This would be a long night.

 _ **Line Break**_

 _Years Prior, Halfway to Beacon Naval Base, 2000 hours_

The sea rose up against the bow of the _Crimsonette_ , the ship plowing forward, matched on either side by the ships of her captain's parents. The night had come early, and with it came storms, rain and crashing waves threatening to overtake their ships, to crash them into one another. But, Summer had advised that they distance themselves, far enough apart to avoid collision, but close enough for their lamps to signal to one another. Radar wasn't working, and neither was their radio, the storm interfering with the signals either had given.

As a result, they were taken by surprise when three ships met them at sea, one grey, one white and red, and one purple and white. Frantic maneuvers had been put in place in an effort to avoid impact, to hail the ships and see whom they belonged to. By the time Ruby saw the name of one of the ships, and recognized the newcomers for who they were, it was too late.

The battleship _Salem_ buried its prow in the side of her mother's ship, turrets firing wildly before Summer could respond. The _Melodic Cudgel_ and _Quicksilver_ teamed up against her father, Tai, his own ship much like Yang's was now. Ruby was all but forgotten by the assailants, until a static filled message filled her bridge.

"Run, little rose! Get to Beacon, tell the admiral that the _Salem_ is back!" Came the squawk of the radio, the voice of her mother clear to Ruby in spite of the static, the chaos. But she refused to leave them, her ship crossing the figurative 'T' behind the _Salem,_ launching torpedoes into her and firing wildly, causing as much damage to that ship as was being done to her mother. Only when a loud crack filled her ears and the night lit in an unholy orange did she realize her mistake. Taiyang had bloodied both of the ships pursuing him, but they landed enough hits to cause his ship to light aflame, the fire reaching the magazine of his ship. There wouldn't have been survivors even if they were in a more peaceful setting.

Blinded by rage and a hatred she couldn't fathom, Ruby fought on. She didn't realize that her arm wasn't responding, her hands clutching the _Crimsonette_ 's helm in a white knuckle grip, her uniform a darker shade than what it had started as. She didn't notice the flames licking up the sides of her mother's ship, the resounding _cracks_ and _booms_ of the turrets firing between the three interlocked ships all she could hear. Only when she saw the fore turret of her mother's ship go airborne did she snap from her trance and realize her situation. The _Melodic Cudgel_ and the _Quicksilver_ had withdrawn, her father's ship a bright orange amidst the black storm. The _Salem_ had torn away from her mother's ship, both of them aflame and listing heavily. Ruby's own _Crimsonette_ had sustained severe damage, most of her turrets would never move again as they were, she was taking on water, and had sustained casualties.

One voice brought her back, weary and tired, one voice sang to her, one last song.

" _Red like Roses fills my dreams and brings me to the place you rest/White is cold and always yearning, burdened by a royal test/Black the beast descends from shadows/And yellow beauty burns Gold.. I love you, my little Rose."_

And then the loudest noise she had heard. Frozen, she watched the _Salem_ 's turrets concentrate on her mother's listing ship, pouring dust into it. The _Crimsonette_ was dangerously close, but Ruby couldn't move, her arms wouldn't budge, and one hand was too slick with blood ( _wait, blood?)_ to get a grip. Then Summer went up in flames, the explosion even larger than Tai's, sending entire turrets skywards, burning the _Salem_ as it fled, the nameplate _Stark Rose_ , her mother's ship, had embedded itself in the only functioning turret of the _Crimsonette._ Debris flew like missiles, the glass of the bridge shattering. Ruby took a chunk of steel straight into her neck, clipping her vocal cords and missing her main artery by microns. The last thing she saw before all faded to black was a head of orange hair and sparkling emerald eyes.

"I'm medic ready!"

 _ **Line Break**_

Her hands once more fell to her sides, her eyes watery as she reached for her glass. _I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I'm sorry I failed you two._ She thought, hammering back the liquid, relishing the burn, the haze. She barely spoke, she could scarcely say a word. But she was determined, and she was drunk, and she would celebrate the first part of her crusade in her own somber way.

"I wanna tell you that you're all that ever mattered/Want you to know that, for eternity, I'm shattered/I tried so hard just to protect you, but I failed to/And in a prison of abandonment I've jailed you.."

She didn't notice how quiet the bar got, she didn't notice that the glass in her hand had shattered, that her hand was bleeding and her friends were shouting.

She had finally opened up, finally got it off of her chest. And she felt worse for it. Like she were dragging her team to their graves just like her parents before them.

She felt herself begin to tip over, felt the blood along her hand and wrist from where the glass had embedded itself. She felt the burning streaks where tears fell down her cheeks as her vision began to fade. The ground suddenly rose to meet her, and all was black.

 _ **Line Break**_

Yang just sat there, stupefied. She'd expected her sister to have broken down, yes. But she thought it would have been over the fact that she had sent an entire ship into a watery grave. She didn't think she would be getting front row seats to a reenactment of their parent's demise. Once Ruby fell, Yang snapped into action, shouting at Junior to call an ambulance before turning to grab her sister.

To her pleasant surprise, Blake and Weiss already had her, and were frantically moving towards the exit, desperate to save their little flower. Unbeknownst to Yang, both Blake and Weiss felt their chests curling up at the sight of their leader's distress. The girls had felt empathy before, yes, but this was a whole new level. It was like they themselves _felt_ Ruby's pain, as if it pained them to know that she was suffering so much behind that ever joyous façade of hers.

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 **A/N: So I was in a cheery mood and wrote a tragic chapter. Kinda ironic, yeah? Also, this is the longest chapter so far! I think it's almost as long as the previous two combined! Let me know what you think in the reviews, and don't forget to fav and follow!**

 **Right now the relationships in this AU stands with a dead tie between Weiss, Cinder (Redemption), and Blake! You have more days to vote, folks, so go and pick your favourite ship and help it set sail in this world of ships! Otherwise, it will be a foursome between Ruby and these three!**

 **Have a good eve/day,**

 **Anna**


	4. Chapter 4: For the Newspaper

Chapter Four: For the Newspaper!

 **A/N: I have no self-control, never have when it comes to choices as I didn't get them much as a kid so I go all-or-nothing. This is officially a Ruby/Cinder/Blake/Weiss story, and I'm sure Yang would be simultaneously proud, jealous, worried, and furious all at once. (To reference another enjoyable fanfiction:**

 _ **Yang: You're topping three women!? Not just one, or two, but all of them?**_

 _ **Ruby: I suppose… Yeah?**_

 _ **Yang: -While shedding a tear of pride- I have taught you well.)**_

 _ **I apologize profusely for the disappearance, life got hectic with graduation and college finals and mental breakdowns. BUT!, I'm back now, and got my own laptop as a graduation gift, so chapters should be coming out fairly regularly.**_

 _ **Also sorry for disappearing for months, depression and everything else kinda murdered me. But I'm back, with hopefully more regular updates!**_

* * *

Ruby woke up groggily, her head pounding and her throat aching, as if she had actually tried to speak. _'Oh, wait, I did, didn't I? Damn…'_ She thought, her hand scratching at her aching throat. Well, it would have, had she been able to move her hand. She remembered needing it bandaged, yes, but aside from that and having forced Weiss and Blake back to at least watch her drink and make sure she could still sail come dawn, it was mostly a blur. She couldn't really remember any of it except for the fact that she had drank a few other sailors under the table, something involving jealousy she thought.

Trying to move her hand again, this time wiggling both, she discovered that they appeared to be weighed down, as if under something, or somethings. Opening her eyes, and receiving a blinding headache for all her effort, she shook her head and tried adjusting to the faint light coming in from the small window upon the wall. Soon, she realized half of her vision was still blocked, and in a moment of panic she flung her head about, only to face a blinding white sheen.

Ruby soon realized that she was not alone, although this was her own room, one that very few people ever saw the inside of. _'Oh, shit…'_ She thought, racking her brain for memories from the night prior. She faintly recalled Blake and Weiss running her to the infirmary because she had shattered something and had toppled over, and then immediately after being cleared she remembered something else, hazily.

When her hands suddenly became lighter and she heard a pair of yawns, a silent squeak escaped her throat, the only audible sound as if a mouse had been surprised. To her right laid their resident _Weissicle_ , as Yang called her, and on her left laid the Cat Faunus, one of the most secretive people she had met.

"You just going to stare, you dolt?" Came the soft voice of the alabaster-haired femme staring down Ruby with something between worry and wonder. Ruby only nodded slightly, before shaking her head and turning between the two, looking back and forth as if trying to remember what had happened the night prior.

Weiss only turned away, cheeks lighting faintly red as she did so. It was Blake who spoke up first, her rough-yet-soothing voice holding Ruby's attention. "After the infirmary, you insisted that we walk you home, and when a group of guys tried hitting on us you challenged them to drink for our honour. Thusly, you proceeded to drink most of SSSN Squadron under the table, and we had to walk you here. When we tried to leave, you would not let us, and so we ended up staying here. It was mostly Weiss' idea."

"Was not! You had an equal part and Ruby would not let us leave! In fact, I remember you almost eagerly agreeing to the plan!" The snow-white woman retorted, before being met by a glare from the Cat as if to say 'look who's talking' that promptly silenced her.

Ruby would have asked the duo more details about the night, and what had happened afterwards, but just as she had begun to sign it the claxons went off around the base, announcing some form of attack.

" _All captains report to your vessels; we have saboteurs on base. I repeat, all captains return to your vessels, sortie from the harbor immediately!"_ Came the repetitive message from Goodwitch over the PA system. Ruby signed for the other two to go immediately, they were still in their combat attire. Ruby, however, wore a tank top and very crumpled slacks, and was determined to change.

The mute simply thought it was a drill, or something easily contained by the Marines on base. That thought was quickly shattered, however as her wolven ears picked up the low _booms_ of explosions and high pitched squeals of sirens. Not bothering to butter-up her uniform or herself before heading out the door, she saw sheets of smoke rising from the harbour and the base's buildings. Black planes with red and white trim swooped overhead, three clawmarks along their wings denoting them as members of the White Fang, the elusive fleet headed by Salem that had caused so much pain already.

 _How in the hell did they get close enough to launch without being detected? How did this happen?_ The Crimsonnette thought, running towards the harbour. As she passed the Officer's Lounge, she spotted Captains Coco Adel and Velvet Scarlatina running out, towards a motor pool across the street. Picking up a rock, she threw it in front of them, gathering their attention.

"Can either of you drive a jeep?" She signed, Velvet nodding and hopping in as Coco sat next to her, Ruby herself hopping in the back and holding on while the Rabbit Faunus sped down the street, sounds of chaos and the smell of despair in the air.

"We were grabbing breakfast when all hell broke loose. We're docked on the opposite side of the island, so they'll probably be avoiding our cruisers at the moment. Let's get you to your squadron, eh? Looks like hell on Battleship Row, you sure you can make a difference?" Coco would say, ever-present beret leaning more than usual as she shouted over the din, turning to watch Ruby. It wasn't that she didn't have faith in the girl, she could scarcely think of someone better to survive. It was the sheer scale of the attack. Already, half of JNPR squadron was knocked out, with _Crocea Mors_ grounded, and _Magnhild_ listing against its dock. The other two were only fortunate by sheer dumb luck, both had been laid up for repairs.

"Even if we can't make it very far, we've gotta try!" Ruby argued, turning to face the attack. She could see the streaks of flame and puffs of fire that meant the base was waking up, and she couldn't wait to see those airmen's faces when Yang's ship got fired up.

* * *

It took them roughly ten minutes to reach the closest they could get to Ruby's ship. Superstructure from the _Magnhild_ prevented them from driving farther forward, having blocked most of the docks. The Crimsonnette stepped off and thanked the duo for bringing her this far, before immediately taking off towards her brave ship, assisting whomever she could along the way. She was sure Nora would be safe, the pink woman had seen her ship wrecked before, and most of the damage was below the waterline. What she did not expect, was what greeted her aft of the ship.

 _Crocea Mors,_ Jaune's ship, had already had its boilers fired for an inspection. Thus, at the first sign of danger, Jaune tried to make a run for it and save his ship. Only, a moving target became priority for the attackers, sink that ship and they could block off the harbour's exit. After sustaining what seemed to be majour fire damage, Jaune beached his ship, the listing boat's superstructure almost entangled in that of Weiss' ship, _Myrtenaster_.

Her squadron's ships, Yang's _Ember Celica_ , Blake's _Gambol Shroud_ , the Myrtenaster, and her own _Crescent Rose_. Were remarkably lightly-damaged. Traces of smoke and foil in the air led her to believe the _Shroud_ emptied its smoke canisters, throwing off most of the bombers and torpedo planes above. As she ran, she spotted Yang on the bridge of her ship, golden hair shining with the reflection of fires as she tried regaining control. Blake's form flitted about her own bridge, the rest of the crew trying to get her combat ready, as did Weiss, who's icy demeanor helped her navigate her ship's way from collision with Jaune.

Finally reaching the _Rose_ , she spotted eternal friend Penny Polendina's bright orange hair descending to the walkway, anti-air fire rising from her ship and steadily increasing in volume. "I've done all I can so far, everyone's firing up their boilers and breaking into the ammunition storage, all the cooking staff and such are working damage control. Blake's smoke saved us, we almost had it as bad as JNPR." The redhead stated, emerald eyes dulled. _Damnit, how could we have let this happen? Don't we have radar, patrols, anything?_ Ruby thought as she nodded and waved at Penny to accompany her to the bridge.

"Forget the main guns for now, get everyone on AA or small arms and pointed at the sky. I want us underway ASAP, got it?" She said, Penny running to the comms and relaying commands through the ship. Smooth hands gripped the steel wheel, pushing forward on the speed control to signal full-speed to the boiler rooms. Minutes felt like hours as planes swooped overhead, as ships exploded. Yang's own _Ember_ took a lucky hit, a bomb pierced right under the forward barbette and exploded next to the magazine, but since it was sealed the ammunition sat tight and only the turret took direct damage.

Then she heard the cry she dreaded. "Glynda says they've got bombers up high, we can't touch up there!" Her XO shouted, and the wolf dearly hoped her engineers had those boilers fired. Already, she could see Velvet's _Hard Light_ and Coco's _Mocha_ underway, their turrets dual-purpose and peppering the sky with lead just like their AA. WB and Y of RWBY slowly began chugging along, Yang's ship pouring as much lead into the sky as it could where Blake was trying to cover them with smoke. Weiss was pulling alongside the _Rose_ , using her own ship as a shield.

* * *

She could see the propellers turning furiously under the waves, _Crescent Rose_ stirring to life along with its crew, all arms pointed skywards. Blake and Yang were ahead of her, the captains having agreed to cover Ruby when she arrived and that the two ships with better anti-air arms should bring the fore. Azure eyes watched the skies for any low-level bombers, any torpedo planes, and that was when she saw it. Small, bulbous, and a bright white colour as it plummeted to sea, time slowed down. She wanted to scream, to shout at her crew to radio their Commodore to brace, but nothing responded, nothing moved, she froze on the con. Steel pierced wood, and more wood, and more, resting below one of their wolf's creations, surrounded by its kin. In a second, all went white and red, a roar unlike any she'd heard filled the air and everyone on the deck of any neighbouring ships was knocked flat. Windows shattered, flags tore away from masts, and the proud _Myrtenaster_ was shoved aside like a toy as explosions rocked the neighbouring _Rose,_ lifting it from the ocean and dumping it down like trash. Splintered metal and wood filled the air alongside more organic matter, black smoke pluming into the sky as oil covered the water in flame.

"Oh my gods, we've just lost the _Rose_."

* * *

It wasn't until she had recovered from the blast that the Cat knew anything was up. Fierce ringing filled her ears alongside a pounding headache, and everything looked too bright. Faintly, she heard crashes and felt vaguely hot, as if standing too close to the fire in the mess hall. Standing on shaky feet, words steadily filtered into her pair of aching ears.

"They just sank the _Rose!_ Bloody hell, they sank her. All stations, we are under attack, this is no drill! The _Rose_ is fucking gone!"

 _Wait, the_ Rose _can't be gone. She was getting underway, she was gaining speed. Ruby can't be gone!_ The Cat thought, turning to look to her rear, only to realize that she shouldn't be able to see as well as she did. _The water's aflame? And why is it so hot,_ Gambol's _taken no damage? Oh no, no no no!"_

Knees began to buckle as hands searched for something to hold on to, amber orbs filling with tears. Her friend, the only other Faunus open besides Sun of SSSN, had been obliterated. The superstructure of the _Crescent Rose_ looked like a bonfire, her bow nonexistent, oily flame covering the water and turrets mangled as the whole craft listed heavily. The bridge was vacant, a charred mess as the flames rose evermore. Blake's only hope was a few ropes that had been thrown between _Rose_ and the _Myrtenaster_ , sailors scrambling across, and the still-untouched aft end of the ship, defiantly firing away and launching lifeboats. She knew she could do nothing from here, and so she hardened herself, standing tall for her crew to see.

"Cover the _Myrtenaster_ at all costs. Tell Yang we're going to get as many people off the wreck as we can."

 **Line Break**

 _Ember Celica_ suffered least of all in the explosion, relatively speaking. Where _Myrtenaster_ was flooded and _Gambol Shroud_ had lost a portion of its crew, the only thing to hit Yang's ship was a turret. Granted it was a few thousand tons of extra weight, it slowly rolled off the ship, taking chunks of planking and a piece of the hull with it.

Yang was a different story. She was facing the entrance of the harbour, and thus only the shockwave struck her and her ears, allowing her to recover quicker. Not that it mattered, but she could've swore she'd heard Ruby over their radio, even if she was mute.

 _That can't be right, can it?_ She thought, before looking closer to her aft and listening to the voice. _Gods no, not her. Why couldn't it have been me? I got hit first damnit!_ The blonde thought, reality finally sinking in. _Gods damnit Rubes, why do you always have to take my hits!?_ Sinking to her knees, she felt the tears flow, the sobs wracking her frame and staining her uniform even more.

 _Not you Ruby, please not you. I can't lose the only family I have left. Gods, please don't let it be Ruby._ The blonde thought, praying to deities she long lost faith in. "L-let Blake know we're going to shield them all. Turn everything and everyone skyward, launch our catapult fighters. I don't care what you do, we will make them pay. Whoever did this, wherever they are, will feel my wrath." She vowed, punching the wooden planks, feeling something shatter, hand or plank she couldn't tell. She would make them pay, they would all pay for hurting her family, for tearing her apart.

Nobody hurts her people and gets away with it. Not until they've heard the Dragon roar.

 **Line Break**

 **A/N: Sorry for the lack of quality! It's 0130 as I post this, and it hasn't been edited yet wholly! I'm hoping to get my friend to review my work as I write, although any others who wish to as well can message me! I'll do my best to get some other chapters up with quality content. I hope you all have a good eve! And yes, this is clearly inspired by the attack on Pearl Harbour as I will be present for the 75** **th** **Anniversary!**

 **Also this chapter saw a majour edit, Cinder was intro'd in the first version but now I took it out. I (roughly) know how I'm going to introduce her, my only question to you all is should she be in a Japanese cruiser, or a Soviet one?**

 **Coco's ship is modeled on the** _ **HMS Belfast**_ **, while Velvet's is more along the** _ **HMAS Perth**_ **. Nora's is a riff on the** _ **Iowa,**_ **while Jaune's is more like** _ **North Carolina.**_ **Thank you all for reading, please review and follow, and expect more chapters for this and my other fics Soon(TM)** **.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Howdy, back with another chapter. Y'all may want to go back to reread the last half of the last one though, it's gone through a pretty majour edit. Also, Cinder's ship, Japanese or Soviet? This chapter's gonna be pretty brutal, dealing with the brunt of the surprise attack and the aftermath.**

* * *

The first sounds she heard upon rising was the _crackle_ of an open fire, the dull _thump-thump-thump_ of the ships anti-air. Her nose was assaulted by so many odors at once she didn't know what to do; pungent oil filled the air with the smell of an accompanying fire ( _Where's damage control?_ ), gunpowder's sharp scent tried bouldering its way past, and the smell of burning flesh and the screams of the dying, the smell of burnt wood and steel accompanying their screech and wails at being rent in so many directions.

Shakily standing, she felt arms help her up, eyes straining to open, to focus, ears trying to focus on the shouts of the voice behind her. _'Have I been hit? What happened to the_ Rose _?'_ she thought, hand shielding her face as she winced, eyes focusing. Thick, black, acrid smoke filled the air alongside the light grey pf the _Shroud_ 's smoke canisters and smoke shells. The water surrounding her ship and the ships next to her was covered in oil, the flames almost reaching the shoreline as they roared. It finally dawned on her, her ship's back hard been broken. The number one turret was gone, launched sky high in the explosion and, unbeknownst to her or her companion, landing on Yang's ship. The next turret, No. 2, leaned precariously towards the bow, the thick steel of its barbette below blasted and melted open by the force of the explosion, the flames. The men and women inside were sealed, their battle station would be their grave. She absent-mindedly wondered if it could still fire, and what it would look like, before turning attention to her companion who's voice finally pierced the din, realizing belatedly that she was, at the least, concussed.

"Come on, Ruby! We've got to make our way to the rear, to abandon the ship!" The woman said, morning-bright orange hair caked with ash, with oil, blood trailing down her face. _'Penny, you're hurt. Just like all these dying ships, these great, broken ship…'_ Silver eyes scanned the horizon, watching as another great battleship began to sharply list, torpedoes meant to hit her side now exploding against her decks, her superstructure, before all that was visible was her keel. Both women shivered, imagining the plight of the crew belowdecks, who's oxygen supply was oh so limited and who had no way to escape.

"N…. No…" Came the weak reply, voice forced to strain as Ruby realized her one hand was being held by Penny around the woman's shoulders, and her other refused to cooperate, twitching and moving but unable to sign. Her silver eyes became as hard as the steel of her ship as she looked towards the sky, cursing this day, those people, the Fang.

"She's sinking Captain, they broke her back! We're listing and there's oil and fire all around! The only ammunition we've got left is whatever we can reach in the aft holds and that won't keep us stocked, hell they've already started launching lifeboats and clambering for shore and the _Myrtenaster_!" Emerald eyes regarded Ruby, fear-stricken, panicked. Penny's uniform was a mess, torn and singed, her cap was gone, lost to the waves along with her epaulettes, and Ruby's own gloves.

The Crimsonnette took in a deep breath, and let it go, repeating the process as she thought, as she tried to summon the strength to speak and failing on multiple occasions, before bulling through, voice cracking and hoarse. "N-no! The ship may be lost to the future, but t-this is now! I will not give her up until she sinks below these waves, until she's burning or out of ammunition. We will not give up the ship." And with that, she took her first step forward, almost collapsing before checking her legs. Formerly black trousers were darker now, torn as she saw shrapnel embedded in her leg, her knee almost white. Wincing, she forced herself to move forward, Penny helping her on more out of concern for her than actual drive.

"F-fine, where are we going?" The ginger queried, grumbling under her breath about how insane this whole plan when she saw Ruby use their one-handed signal for the Radio Room. _'I'm going to send a message, and we're going to give 'em hell for breaking us.'_ The Wolf thought, Crimson overtaking her vision as she realized she was bleeding from her head as well, although her cap miraculously remained in place.

The cackle of machine guns and thump of cannons were their sole company as the duo pushed forward, explosions behind and around them, the bodies of burnt and emaciated shipmates all about, some almost unrecognizable, and others painfully preserved. _'They will pay, whoever let this happen, whoever organized it.'_ Ruby realized now, it wasn't only great ships dying, but great people as well. The door to the Radio Room was ajar, the room abandoned in what she assumed was an effort to abandon ship or help damage control.

"I'm going to leave you here for now and see who else I can drag from the bow, alright Cap?" Penny shouted, gone before her Captain could reply. _'Damnit, I suppose I'll have to find a crutch or use the walls.'_ She thought turning to their machines. One was an honest-to-gods radio, but she was already going to be using her voice enough as is, so she opted for the older option, a machine that transmitted a message via a signal of dots and dashes.

" _Crimson Rose lost. Back broken, fore engulfed in flame and debris. Capt. Rose survived, along with XO Penny Polendina. Casualties unknown, assuming full contingent of turrets Nos. 1 and 2. We will continue the fight in the stern of the ship and proceed to abandon ship as we can. We will not give up the ship."_

Melodramatic, yes, but she had almost died, and she couldn't help but smile as the thumps of the anti-air were accompanied by a loud, earth-shaking _boom_ signaling the firing of the main guns. _'I suppose they found a way to get them in action. Timed fuses?'_ Looking about, she spotted a rifle that had floated in on the rising water, leaning over to grab it and use it as a makeshift crutch as she moved to command the fighting effort of her crew.

* * *

"Incoming communique Captain, from the _Rose_! It seems to have been broadcast on all channels!"

Weiss' ears perked at the sound, wheeling around so fast she was surprised she hadn't given herself whiplash. Marching to the radioman, she saw him typing out the message before handing it to her, eyes reading the message quick as a smile bloomed over haggard features.

"Prepare to accept more casualties, and see if you can message back about any supplies they can salvage. Looks like the _Rose_ is going down fighting, mates!" She shouted, tears in her eyes as her crew began to cheer, the PA system being used to relay the news. They knew that the crew of the _Rose_ were some bloody determined bastards, they rammed their enemies on a regular basis, but the resounding clap of the main guns still solidified it in their minds. Down, but not out. They may not live to see they next hour, the next day, but they wouldn't go down running, they wouldn't roll over and die.

"Relay that message. I want the whole harbour to catch wind of it if they haven't already. Use the searchlights if you have to." She said, walking briskly (although everyone around her would agree she was, in fact, running) to the port side of her ship, scanning the deck of the _Rose_ for her eternally energetic companion. She may have seen it happen, but it was till shocking to see the prow of the mighty vessel engulfed in flame and smoke, to see the warping of the superstructure and the bodies littering the decks and harbour around. The aft of the ship fared little better, the waters engulfed in flame, decks awash in seawater that only rose as they fought on. She imagined the crew belowdecks struggling to hoist ammunition to the guns, men running back and forth with bags and canisters to the AA and secondaries, damage control keeping the fires at bay with liberal use of the firefighting equipment ( _I suppose there's no use for it when the ship sinks, my as well use it all now)_ and wreckage to create a form of barrier. Launches from the shore pulled alongside, a steady stream of wounded and dying being placed aboard before they would push off back to shore. Tugboats pulled alongside, hoses spraying the decks and waters, fire retardant covering everything liberally.

She caught side of a shock of orange hair and squinted, looking for the bundle of determination that was always nearby before spotting her target, sitting in an AA mount like any other sailor and fighting back, shouting and signing commands to the redhead and whoever else she could get to run them. _'As bound and determined as ever, you dolt.'_

* * *

Blake's ears perked at the news, eyes lit with a new hope as she relayed the news like how Weiss and her crew did, cheers and determination replacing helplessness. In fact, she swore she could hear cheers from around the harbour as her stricken Commodore continued to fight, as lead filled the sky and planes fell to earth in fireballs. Glancing back, she immediately spotted the energetic Wolf in the anti-air mount, predatory gleam to her eyes as she relayed commands through Penny and other charges. The fighting had lulled momentarily, that's the only way they could've gotten the rafts off the _Rose_ in the first place, but as soon as they questioned whether the raid was over or not the sirens sounded again.

"Launch our aircraft, but only if the pilot wants to go up. They want a fight, we'll start putting planes in the air. Radio the other ships to do the same, it's harder to shoot catapult planes down on launch than land-based ones." She said, ears flicking in annoyance at her not having thought of it before. Soon, messages of confirmation came warbling back and all of squadron RWBY's catapult planes were up, a low-flying barrier for whatever got through the AA. Everyone knew they were as likely to survive as a snowball in hell, but if it bought their comrades time then to hell with it. "Pull alongside the _Myrtenaster_ and transfer first aid supplies we can spare, along with any extra bedding and clothing. Let them know we can take on wounded, and let the med bays know we're taking on wounded."

Blake turned away from her two friends, the cheer from the _Celica_ so loud she was sure the pilots could hear, and an almost predatory smirk took hold of her lips, and her eyes. They may be backed against a wall, but wasn't there a saying about cornering a lion?

* * *

"She's what!? They're what!? YOU MEAN SHE'S ALIVE?!" The busty blonde shouted, tears of mirth replacing those of her silent pain, hands flying wildly in excitement. "Can you confirm it was them? Are you sure it-." Her questioning interrupted by the boom of cannons, by the cheers of other ships. "Alright, tell the men down in the engines to man skeleton crews, and any nonessential staff to report to the deck and search for survivors in the water. We're going to sit tight and cover their asses, boys! Nobody messes with us and gets off lightly!" And she could swear she saw the very sun brighten with their cheer. It may be remembered as a day of sorrow, of guilt and sadness, but these men and women would give as good as they took. She could see her ship's contingent of Marines mounting their machine guns on the barbettes, holding onto the ladders and firing away with grim determination. A crewmate was throwing wrenches, _fucking wrenches,_ at the passing planes before someone gave her a submachine gun, and even then, she threw the empty magazines at their attackers. Grim determination filled all present, and she decided to pace the deck, to see just how bad their base was. Off to the stern of her ship she saw where CRDL squadron should have been, covered in flame and smoke. The great hulk that was Cardin Winchester's had turned over, and there was little sign of the other ships except for some superstructure sticking out behind the waves. Hopefully some of them got out, even they didn't deserve to die like that.

Her _Ember_ was doing well, all things considered. A plane had rammed itself into their superstructure, destroying some of the secondary mounts and the AA but doing mostly superficial damage. The turret launched from the _Rose_ disabled her aft-most turret, but she couldn't elevate the guns enough to make a real difference, so it was a problem for later. Torpedoes had hit her ship, but luckily only one caused majour damage and they promptly flooded the opposite compartment to right the ship, to keep her afloat as they sailed back and forth, a protective sheen over the relief efforts.

As suddenly as the attack began, it ended. The planes disappeared over the horizon, chased by what eager amount Beacon got into the air, most of RWBY's pilots having been downed but what remained chasing, hungry for vengeance. There were no cheers, no shouts of jubilee, only silence and the cries of the dead and dying, of those offering and seeking aid. A half-hour passed, then an hour, and another, before the whole base took a breath.

"We made it. Worse for the wear, but we made it."

* * *

It would be months before the people of RWBY squadron could get any closure. Weeks of searching, of the most extensive salvage operation in the world's history, followed by months of identifying and tallying the dead, of assessing the damage. Ruby got a new ship, it had been decided by all to leave the _Rose_ be, and that Ruby's current ship would be the last to bear the name. In total, they lost over three thousand dead, and another thousand wounded. The majority of the casualties came straight from the _Rose_ , her contingent suffering almost 80% dead and dying, almost 1500 dead and another 500 wounded. Next highest was team CRDL, all ships lost, Cardinal's ship adding another 500 to the death toll. None of the captains survived.

Today, though, was a chance they'd all waited for. Squadrons RWBY and JNPR, with support from CFVY in the form of Yatsuhashi's battleship, Fox's escort carrier, and Coco and Velvet's cruisers. All their crews stood along the railings of the ships, dress uniforms on as they all fire one volley from their main armaments, Fox's carrier planes doing a flyover in formation missing a unit, a symbolic gesture.

Ruby's new _Crescent Rose_ was at the front of the convoy, its long, thin, sleek form cutting through the calm harbour. She had cut down on the size and number of main guns, three triple turrets with mounts like Yang's, but a firing system much more accurate. An extra airplane catapult replaced the last turret, a fighter-bomber with its own crew. Two sets of four torpedo tubes lined each side of her ship, and the salvaged superstructure of the first _Crescent Rose_ made an excellent ram for the newest. Being lighter, with more powerful engines and the same layout, the new _Rose_ made speed enough to support Coco and Velvet's cruisers.

Exiting the harbour where so many had died, where friends, family, partners would never leave, brought tears to many eyes. Slowly, steadily, grief gave way to anger, and anger to determination. Ruby's cry of _'We will not give up the ship_.' Had become a rallying point for Vale, for the Hunters of Beacon, and their allies. Ruby's own silver orbs melted, ears twitching and laying down. The war cries of her friends, her family filled her ears, from the Yang's _'End them, Ember!'_ to Blake's _'Get 'em Gambol!'_ and Weiss' _'Marauders of the Myrtenaster at the ready!"_ and all those of CFVY and JNPR.

Hearing her own war cry resonate from the harbour brought tears to her whole crew, she was certain. The cry of determination, of dedication that had kept them fighting in the attack, kept them going against Mercury, against all odds. Her own war cry from the shore, from the sea, probably from her own hoarse, unused chords as they sailed into the open ocean, a force of vengeance and hope.

" _Rout 'em, Rose!"_

* * *

 **Sorry for the no update for ages! My muse died, and depression, college, dissociation, anxiety and all decided to screw me. I have a kinda-beta in my roommate, but if anyone else wants to too then PM me! I will try to update all my fics at least once a month, and some of you may be excited to hear I have a new project in the works involving Dragons, and a blend of WWI/Medieval tech.**

 **Adieu, friends!**


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